Stage one, lower left — the origin: a jellyfish floats in deep ultramarine blue. As one of the oldest forms of life on earth it stands for the absolute, formless beginning of organic life in the dark primal sea. Stages two and three, the centre — marine life: the water grows more dynamic, shot through with white spray and currents. At the centre the silhouette of a mighty prehistoric fish dominates — the symbol of the development of complex vertebrates ruling the ocean. Stage four, upper right — the step onto land: the composition breaks open radically. The cool blue gives way to warm, sandy ochres and earth tones. Here the fossil outlines of lizards and amphibians become visible, leaving the water and conquering dry land. The principle: Christian Franz Joseph König stages the history of the earth as a physical and chromatic ascent — from the wet, dark deep sea up to dry land in the light.